Anna
by Rainbowmnms
Summary: Anna is an antisocial, regular girl. Somehow Anna is catapulted from California into a new world and dropped into a life that doesn't seem to be her own. If being called 'Princess Anna' isn't strange enough, she discovers that people in this new world, Fiore, can use magic! She's locked up in this new life, sentenced to marriage. Can her handsome kidnapper free her? Natsu x OC
1. Princess Anna

**Someone asked me for another Natsu x OC story, so I came up with this one. I figured eh, might as well, right? Anyways, I'm not completely sure that I'll continue this one. If you like it, tell me so and I'll definitely continue it for you. I'm just a bit torn. *Sigh* **

**It may seem a little confusing at first, but I promise it'll make sense after a bit! I promise! Stick with it if you think its interesting. If not, I don't blame you. I always appreciate favorites and follows, but I especially appreciate reviews! Just letting you know. ;)**

* * *

"Anna!" shouted my mom from downstairs. Her voice was muffled, but it still managed to reach my ears through my closed door. Yeah, I'd shut myself up in my room again. Maybe I should call it my sanctuary?

"Anna!" my mother yelled again, evident annoyance in her voice, "Can you hear me up there?" I'd adopted the attic as my own, clearing it out and using it as my hiding place from the world. It was a bit chillier than the rest of the house, but that wasn't anything a sweater and warm socks couldn't fix. Besides, I didn't mind the cold.

"I can hear you!" I shouted and shut my eyes. I could feel a headache coming on. Unfortunately for me, I got those a lot.

"Come downstairs!" my mom yelled up the stairs that led to the attic, "Now!" I could hear the anger in her voice even though she tried to hide it. She wasn't a particularly…irritable person. When she was angry, it was usually for a good reason. I forced myself upright and tapped the play button on my iPod, shoving it in my back pocket. I slid my headphones over my head. As I left my room I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Pale skin, overly sized eyes, and black hair forced me to look away. Maybe if I had light hair I wouldn't look so…strange. I longed to look normal.

My mom always told me that I was beautiful, but wasn't that just a parent's job? I couldn't trust her word. I didn't have any friends who would back me up, tell me that I wasn't as ugly as I saw myself. I didn't like people at all, actually. I pulled my annoying hair into a messy bun and stabbed a pencil through it to pin it in place. I cranked the volume on my music and, sock-footed, eased down the creaky stairs. Each board protested against my steps until I quietly landed in the hallway.

I sighed and made my way to the kitchen. I knew that was where my mom probably was. Whenever she was worried or stressed out about anything, she'd start to cook fervently. To be honest, I found it a bit strange. Who was I to judge, though? I was pretty much the embodiment, no, the _epitome_ of strange.

When I stepped into the room my mom looked up from—I guessed correctly—her cooking. I stared at her blankly. She tilted her head to the side, a habit that I recognized to mean that she was anxious. She shifted to her other foot. She wasn't a particularly tall woman. She had an unusual amount of wrinkles on her face, considering her age; I would never say that to her, though. She would probably cry.

Wrinkles were to be expected, though. She'd had it rough ever since my dad had died…we both had. She brushed her greyish hair behind her ear and motioned for me to remove my headphones. I didn't argue. I never argued with my mom. To me, she was a delicate creature. Like glass. If you dropped her, hurt her in any way, she would shatter. Not into large pieces, either. She would break into tiny pieces, so that, no matter how much glue you used, you wouldn't be able to piece her back together. I didn't want that…so I didn't argue.

"Your teacher told me…that you got sent to the principle's today," my mom said nervously. She clasped her hands together as I flicked my annoying hair out of my vision.

"I did," I said calmly. Lying wasn't really my thing.

"Wh-Why?" my mom asked, flustered.

I closed my eyes for a moment and then looked at her directly, "It was stupid."

She waited. I sat down at the counter. "There's a girl called Johanna in my class. She accused me of being in love with her boyfriend, Skylar. I'm not."

"You didn't…" my mom started.

"No, I didn't." She breathed a sigh of relief, tension escaping her shoulders. "But she didn't back down. She shoved me into a locker. A teacher saw. I was sent to the principle's. She wasn't."

"I trust you," she said and then turned away, "You may go."

"I have to get to work. I'll be back late. Don't wait up." With that I fled the house. Something about that place brought me down. I knew my mother loved me, but it had never been the same after the accident. I paused in the doorway. A faded picture hung on the wall. It was me, when I as younger. I was smiling wide, sitting with none other than my beloved father. He looked so happy, like being with me was the best thing in the world. I clearly reciprocated those feelings. I'd been younger, but I still remember him. His warmth. The way he would laugh at every little thing I did. How he'd rock me to sleep when I had nightmares.

That was also something that happened a lot. I mulled over my past as I mounted my bicycle. I suppose it was also my present, though. I got nightmares quiet a lot. They were horrible, too. I'd always wake, fear causing tremors down my spine and cold sweat dripping down my forehead. Eventually, I'd snap back to reality, though. It was never real…

I'd always remember that the darkness wasn't an actuality; it was a figment of my imagination. That man wasn't always watching me with those cold, ever-vigilant eyes. The monster didn't really exist. I was safe where I was. What really terrified me, though—never mind the monster—was when my father showed up in my dreams. Those were the worst.

* * *

"Anna! Looking glum as always!" said a light voice. Strong arms wrapped around me and swung me around, "It's been too long!"

"By 'too long' do you mean since we got out of school a few hours ago?" I questioned.

Skylar looked down at me as if I'd slapped him. His greyish eyes were partially hidden behind his long, bleach-blond hair. His iridescent ear piercing shone under the light. "That's exactly what I meant," he said indignantly.

I scoffed and shrugged his arms off of me. I reached up and replaced the pencil through my hair for an actual tie. "Whatever," I mumbled.

"I think part of your charm is how depressing you are all the time," he said, propping himself up against the floury counter.

I grinned slyly at him, hiding one of my eyes behind my black hair, "I think part of your charm is…wait, you don't have any charm."

He reeled backwards and slammed his head against the 'any two toppings, 50% off' sign. He rubbed his head, "That hurts."

"Slamming appendages against any solid surface does tend to sting a bit," I said, turning and plucking an order from the rack. I skimmed it over and got started, readying dough as I had a million times before.

"I wasn't talking about my head," he said, "I meant my heart. Sometimes you can be cruel."

"You should say stuff like that," I said coolly, "People will misunderstand." I cast a quick glance his way so as to gauge his reaction. He looked slightly surprised.

"Who'd misunderstand?" he asked.

I sighed, "Your girlfriend, for one."

He groaned, "Jo doesn't really care about me. I'm a trophy to her. You know that." I couldn't blame her. Skylar was pretty…beautiful. I know guys don't like being called that, but it's the best word to describe him. He had long, blondish eyelashes that brushed his cheeks when he blinked. He had high cheekbones and a strong jawline. His wavy hair was platinum blonde, but when the sun hit it, you could see darker gold hidden throughout. He was tall and strong, also. I had to hand it to Johanna, she knew how to pick a trophy…not that I ever saw him that way.

"Well, she cared enough about her trophy to slam me into some lockers and get me sent to the principle's," I said quietly, flipping the already formed dough up in the air expertly.

Skylar launched himself off the table and grabbed my wrist. The dough smacked against the counter, sending a cloud of flower into the air. I coughed a bit and turned to look at Skylar. He looked angry. "What did she do?" he demanded.

I stared at him and tried to turn away. He wouldn't let me. "Ease off. It was nothing," I mumbled.

"No! If she did something to you, you shouldn't just stand by and do nothing about it. Hell, _I _shouldn't just stand by and do nothing about it!" he practically shouted. Our boss, Jed, peeked his head out of his office.

"Are you two fooling around again?" he asked. I shook my head and Skylar called back. "No, Sir. Sorry, Sir."

He backed of, but didn't stop staring at me. I set to work with the pizza again. I could feel his silver eyes on me. "An," he said quietly, "Tell me." I could hear the pleading in his voice and sighed.

"I already did. She shoved me into some lockers. That's all."

"Why?"

I hesitated, "She said that I liked you, except there were some less than admirable words thrown in there along the way." There was crippling silence…eventually I looked up, (mostly out of curiosity…what had shut him up?)

He wasn't looked at me. Actually, he was facing the other direction. When he next spoke, his voice was a bit hoarse, "And…"

"And, that's all," I said, returning to my work. I didn't want to be caught staring at his strong back or the way his floury t-shirt was stretched taught over his muscles.

He cleared his throat, "I'm off duty. I'll see you at school. Tell me if Johanna does anything like that again." With that he left the room. I was thankful for the solitude and silence, but was painfully aware of how empty the room felt. It was strange how torn I was between wanted him to return and wishing he wouldn't. My shift ended quicker than I wished it had; the boss practically kicked me out.

I sighed and pulled the tie out of my hair, letting it fall down of my shoulders. I used to keep it short, but going to the hairdresser got to be such a pain that I just decided to pull it up. The effect was generally the same: I didn't have to look at it either way. I hated my hair…a lot. It reminded me of my dad. I didn't want that.

"Anna," said a voice behind me. I leapt into the air and yelped like a little girl. I then managed to trip on my own ankle and tumble to the ground. I scraped my knee and winced. A soft chuckle accompanies the pain that ensued. I clutched my knee and picked little pieces of gravel out of the wound.

"That's just like you. You ok?" he said.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you left," I jibed. I wasn't about to dignify his question with any remote form of response.

Skylar fiddled with a pebble in the driveway, "I have something I have to tell you." I got to my feet and brushed off the dirt on my legs. I straightened myself.

"Ok, shoot," I said. I reached to my neck and then had a minor heart attack. "Shit," I cursed under my breath before Skylar could say anything. I fell back to the ground and frantically searched the floor.

"What are you doing?" he asked, kneeling beside me.

"My necklace broke," I said, frustrated.

"I'll help you look," he said and then proceeded to make good of his statement. "Anyway, what I wanted to tell you…"

"Right, you said there was something. And?"

"I…broke up with Johanna," he said almost silently. I froze.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked.

"I guess you could say that something opened my eyes…a realization of sorts," he said as his hand hovered over the pebbles. A glint of bright green caught my eye and he looked up, "This it?"

I couldn't help but grin out of relief and nod my head. I took the stone from him, though the chain was gone. It didn't matter. It'd been cheap anyways. "Thanks," I said as I closed my fingers around the emerald. I didn't know if it was real. Even if it was I wasn't about to sell it.

"That's important to you, huh?" Skylar asked. I looked up and realized he'd been staring at me. I wondered for how long.

"My dad gave it to me," I said almost immediately. My willingness to share the information with him surprised me. I looked at him shyly, but he just nodded in understanding. I wasn't sure if he really did understand, though. Did he know about my dad?

"As I was saying," he said, standing up to his full height. I stood a few seconds after him. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. He stared at me.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I was grateful for the black hoodie I'd been wearing. I was sufficiently covered. Otherwise, I might've thought that he'd been staring at _me_. That was stupid, though. Who would actually look at me? I wondered if there was actually a person out there who could care about me.

"Your…pocket. Is your phone on?" he asked. I raised a brow and looked down. My pocket was, indeed, glowing. I reached in a pulled out the most unlikely source of the light…and yet…

The stone—yes, the very same one Skylar had just recovered from the ground for me—was _glowing_. A brilliant green color emanated from the stone. "Uh," I said stupidly.

"Does it…do that often?" he asked. I couldn't stop staring.

"No," I breathed.

* * *

I felt warmth. A gentle breeze caressed my face, brushing my long hair over my nose. It tickled and I sneezed. I opened my eyes and set up. For some reason, I felt light. There wasn't anything weighing down on me. I didn't feel the constant headache I usually did.

"Princess Annabeth? You're awake," said a voice. I turned to my left and saw a man standing beside me. I ran my fingers over the tall grass where I lay and looked up at the cherry tree he was leaning against.

"Sorry…what?" I asked. I could have sworn he just called me a princess. I rubbed my eye.

"I was just thinking that we should be returning," he said, offering me his hand. I stared at it.

"Returning?" I asked.

"To the castle, of course," he said as if it were obvious. Castle? Princess? How did this guy know my name? I looked down and realized I was wearing an extravagant dress. I held my breath.

"Princess, are you alright? Perhaps the sleep hasn't completely left you," he said, kneeling beside me. He had…white hair. It just occurred to me that having white hair was strange. No, he wasn't old. He looked older than me, but definitely not old enough to have white hair.

"I'm…confused," I mumbled. I wanted to ask who he was, but figured that would be rude. I reached to my neck for comfort and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized my jewel still hung on its chain at my collarbone. The man helped me to my feet.

"I'll escort you back, Princess. You have a big day tomorrow; I don't blame you for being nervous," he said softly. Somehow his words comforted me, though I wasn't sure why.

"But I'm not nervous," I said softly, smoothing my dress down.

The man chuckled, "Of course you're not. You're the strongest person I know." He plucked a cherry petal from my head and tossed it aside, "I'm proud of you."

I stared at him, "Thank you." I wasn't really sure what to say. Expressing my thanks seemed like the best way to go. I couldn't help but wish that I had my headphones with me.

We walked through streets. When I was very young, I remember going to see old castle towns during a summer vacation. That's what this place reminded me of. Merchants lined the streets and beautiful flowers hung everywhere. Everyone seemed satisfied, going about his or her own business. When I walked past, though, people stared at me in wonder. A young man locked eyes with me and looked away immediately, a slight pinkish tint to his cheeks. That only helped to confuse me further.

"The Princess has returned," shouted the man beside me. He took my hand and escorted me up a flight of stairs. So _this _was what a castle looked like on the inside. I had to admit, it was beautiful. "You should get some sleep. I'll have a maid bring by some food in case you find your appetite later on in the evening," he said. He suddenly looked upset. He placed one hand on my head gently and looked down at me, "Don't worry, alright? Everything will be ok. It's all for the best."

I nodded, suddenly just wanting to be alone. He smiled solemnly and shut the door behind him. I turned and lay down on enormous, decorative bed beside me. The room was too big, also; it was drafty. I curled up into a tight ball, something I tended to do when I felt alone. And god, did I feel alone now. Confusion ran rampant in my mind. I was lost. I tried to remember what had happened.

I stood up and began pacing the room, clutching my necklace. That last thing I could remember was Skylar. He was looking at me like he desperately wanted to tell me something. Then…my necklace. I stared at it. Had it really glowed like that? Then, I'd woken up here. A stranger had called me Princess and brought me to a castle. I was in too much shock to even protest. Apparently, something was happening tomorrow. I didn't care. This was a dream, wasn't it? That was the only viable explanation. I stopped in the middle of the room, determined to believe that, and glanced to my left.

I stumbled backwards. There was a mirror on the other side of the wall. I froze, staring at my reflection. I took a few nervous steps forward, and surely enough the reflection followed my motions. I waved my hand to make sure it was really me in the mirror. The girl there waved her hand also. I gasped and touched the shiny surface. I was…not me. Long, flowing, dark hair fell down to my lower back. It curled delicately, shimmering in the light. My hair almost seemed to change color at different angles, almost like a raven's feather. Dark, mysterious eyes stared back at me. Long lashes nearly touched my perfectly trimmed eyebrows. A dainty nose and brilliant, full, red lips topped off my look. I was…stunning. Not to mention my full chest, dollish pail skin, and delicate figure. I blushed just looking at myself.

A knock on the door jarred me out of my stupor. "Annabeth, may I enter?"

I panicked for a moment and then calmed down, "You may." A man peeked out from behind the door. He had kindly eyes and a full, greying beard. He had wrinkles, but they were the sorts that one gets from smiling their whole life. I liked that. "How are you?" He smiled at me hopefully.

I couldn't help but return the smile as I strode to the balcony. I stepped outside and the man followed me. "I'm well," I replied, "Thank you."

The man suddenly embraced me and I stiffened, "I'm sorry that this had to happen. I'm sorry." When he pulled away, he had tears in his eyes. He placed a strong hand on my cheek.

"I'm really alright," I said quietly. Everyone's worry for me was starting to unnerve me. Was something really bad actually happening to me?

The man seemed to suddenly gain his composure, "I have to leave you. Sleep well, daughter." That caught me off guard. Daughter? I shrugged it off. This was a dream. I could be anyone's daughter so long as my subconscious desired it.

"I will." After a moment I added, "Father." It was certainly strange.

After he left, I rummaged through my drawers looking for something more comfortable. I eventually found a blue summer dress. It wasn't exactly my taste, but what can you do when you're in a dream world and have no other choice? I just slipped it on after spending quite a while attempted to remove the dress I was wearing. I searched for some reasonable shoes, but found none. I decided I would just go barefoot.

I peaked my head out of my room, making sure there were no guards or ladies in waiting anywhere in sight. Castles had those, didn't they? I tiptoed silently through the endless corridors and hallways. I relished at the softness of my hair as it caressed my bare skin.

"Miss, where are you off to?" asked a voice. I whirled around and stared. It was…a cat?

"I, eh…"

"You really shouldn't be here. Who are you?" the blue cat asked. Blue? I didn't care if this was a cat, shouldn't he know his own princess? This could work in my favor, though.

I knelt beside him, "What's your name?"

He hesitated, which I found curious, "My name is…Harold."

I giggled a bit and he blushed. Can cats blush? "Well, Harold, I need your help. You look like you know your way around this place. Could you point me to the door? I tend to get lost easily, and I would really _love _it if you could show me the way out."

He stared at me for a moment before he pointed, "That way."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"Just go straight," he said before turning away and running off down the hallway.

I straightened, "I've never met a blue, talking cat who didn't know his own name before." I chuckled to myself at the bizarreness of the statement. I turned and silently ran down the hallway that the cat had pointed to. Soon enough, I found that exit. Unfortunately, it was guarded. This was interesting. I mulled over ways to distract the guards so as to grant myself time to run by them and out into the awaiting freedom I so desired. I didn't know why, but this place was intimidating. I didn't want to stay in this castle any longer.

"So this is why you weren't nervous," said a voice. I froze and turned slowly. The guy with white hair stood over me, and he looked very, very cross.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" I said, more of a question than I statement. I knew he wouldn't buy it.

"Silas, is everything alright?" one of the guards called.

The man looked up and smiled, "It's nothing. Keep up the good work." He grabbed my arm gently and led me away from the guards, out of sight and hearing range.

"You were trying to escape, weren't you?" he hissed.

For some reason, tears sprung to my eyes, "I can't stand it here. I don't want to stay. I need fresh air. This place is suffocating me."

"You've never acted like this before," he said softly, "Why now?" He brushed some tears from my cheek and I didn't protest. His touch was welcome. I needed some comfort. I didn't remember being such a softy before all of this, though.

"Is it because you're to be married tomorrow?" Silas asked. I froze and looked up at him. Married. So that's why everyone had been looking at me with such pity.

"I know you're averse to it, but he's a good young man," Silas said, attempting to comfort me. It didn't work. "Who knows, maybe you'll find love with him."

"I don't want this!" I practically shouted.

"Don't raise your voice like that," Silas scolded. I quieted down and slumped against the wall, wrapping my arms tightly around myself.

"Anna," Silas said, "I've known you since you were born. I know _you_. As soon as I found out that you were to be married I was shocked. I knew you wouldn't like it. Being forced like that."

I looked up at him hopefully. It sort of scared me that this person knew me my whole life, whatever life I was living at the moment, and I'd only just met him earlier today. He put his hands on either one of my shoulders, "But may I remind you that you're a princess. It's your responsibility to do this. Even if you don't like it, you'll rule this country someday. Fiore needs you to be strong." I wasn't a princess. I didn't care about this place called Fiore. I didn't want any of this. I wanted to return to my old life. I wanted the comfort of making pizzas every day to earn what little money I managed to scrounge up. I wanted a familiar face in all of this.

"Return to your room," he said quietly, "Please." I shuffled away. Arguing wasn't something I had the energy for any longer. I was drained. As soon as my head hit that foreign, uncomfortable pillow on that overly sized bed in that drafty room, my exhaustion won out.

* * *

**Don't forget to tell me what you thought! Thanks, guys! I love you so. T^T *sobs out of love***


	2. Escapee Anna

**So, I decided to post a second chapter. Thanks a lot to shingekinobaka for the review! I'm doing this for you. :)**

* * *

"Miss, it's time for you to get up," said a timid woman's voice. I didn't open my eyes. "Miss, we have to get you ready for today's events," she said. I eased myself upright and straightened myself out. I opened my eyes.

"Did you sleep well, Princess?" asked the woman beside my bed. She was clearly a maid. An actual maid. Sitting beside me. As far as I could tell, maids only existed in Japan, not that I was highly knowledgeable about the existence of maids around the world.

"Yes, thank you," I said quietly, still a bit sleepy. That wasn't the truth. I'd had a nightmare again. The same one as usual. The dark man watching me. The monster. My father.

"We have to get you into your dress. It seems you've overslept a bit," she said, standing. I didn't argue as my maid guided me through the process. After last night, I knew there was no escaping it. Besides, it was all just a dream, right? It wasn't like I was _actually _getting married to this prince.

"Are you looking forward to meeting him?" my maid asked as her hands darted expertly across my back, buttoning an unnervingly long string of pearly buttons on my spine. I hadn't met him yet, huh? What kind of place was this that a bride wouldn't meet her husband-to-be until a few hours before the wedding?

"I suppose so," I said and then withheld a grunt as my maid pulled on the dress, cutting off almost all of my air supply.

"I've seen him before. He's quite handsome. You're a lucky woman," she said, "But someone as beautiful as you should expect such a handsome husband."

"Beautiful?" I questioned. Nobody had said that to me before and really _meant _it. I suddenly remembered my mother pulling my hair up when I was younger. _You're so beautiful_, she would say. I'd nod as if I believed her.

"Of course, Princess. You're the most beautiful woman in Fiore," she said happily. I couldn't help but feel a bit happy, flattered. I nodded thankfully as she finished her task.

"Look," she breathed, "I told you. You're beautiful." I glanced at my reflection and couldn't help but stare. She was right. I was beautiful. Even more so than yesterday, ethereal. My beauty, however, was marred by the white dress that fell gracefully to the ground like feathers floating to the floor. I didn't want to be wearing such as dress. It was beautiful, but it reminded me of what was about to happen. _A dream, _I repeated in my head. Over and over, _a dream, a dream_.

It was hard, though. It all seemed so real to me. I'd never had a dream like this…only nightmares. It was difficult to believe that this wasn't real. The softness of the silk, lace, and satin of the dress. The smell of my perfume. The subtle warmth of the stone around my neck. It was all too real.

"You look amazing, Anna," said a gentle voice. I looked to my right and saw a beautiful woman standing in the door. There were tears in her eyes, "My little girl is finally getting married." Something about the woman in the doorway was off-putting. She seemed almost fake. Beautiful, but fake.

"Don't cry," I said, trying to hide any annoyance that might have peaked through.

"Sorry, you're right. I'd mess up my makeup," she said, fanning her eyes. Were those tears real? I couldn't tell. "Now, let's go."

I reluctantly took her arm, but the woman—my mother?—paused, "Oh, I forgot. Tilda, would you come with me for a moment? Stay here, Anna dear. I have something I want to give to you." I didn't argue.

I stood there, looking at myself in the mirror. I sighed. I was even more trapped here than I was in California. Fiore wasn't really my cup of tea, to be honest. It was amazing in its own right, but I didn't like it at all. It felt closed off and lonely. When I was a little girl, I'd always longed for an adventure. Most little girls obsessed over ponies and the color pink, not me. I wanted to be a pirate…yeah, a pirate.

I practically jumped out of my skin when a loud alarm blared throughout the halls. I glanced around nervously. There was no one in sight. I heard my heartbeat in my ears. What was that sound? Why was there an alarm? I shrunk into the corner as I heard some crashing glass and subsequently some shouts. The shouting didn't stop. I heard the sounds of clashing blades and something not unlike thunder. Was it genuine thunder? It almost seemed so.

Men rounded the corner and I panicked. I tried to make myself invisible, small, but it didn't work. A harsh hand grabbed my arm and I screamed. "Anna, don't scream," hissed a voice. A hand silenced me, clamping down over my mouth. I glanced up. Silas. The familiar face sent relief flooding throughout me and I sagged against his chest. He smiled, "You're safe. Rebels are attacking the palace. We're pretty sure they're from the North. We'll fight them back."

"Why are they here?" I asked when he finally removed his hand.

"Most likely to stop the wedding. There are a lot of people who don't want it to happen," he replied, glancing to the door as if he were waiting for someone. There were four other men here, all dressed in brilliant green uniforms.

"Why?" I asked, continuing the conversation. I know it didn't really matter to me, but I was curious. Well, maybe it did matter a bit. I secretly hoped they would succeed. The idea of not being forced into marriage didn't seem so bad right at the moment.

"The North has always been known to be more…_volatile_. They don't want an alliance," Silas said quickly. As soon as he finished informing of the situation of the rebels' motive, a loud scream—a man's—echoed through the hall. It was alarmingly close. Silas's eyes narrowed. He pointed to two guards, "Stay with her." He turned to me. "I'll be back. Don't worry. I'll keep you safe." I stared after him as he left. Somehow I didn't find his words comforting; that's probably because I wasn't really all that worried. Being captures by rebels was just another event happening in my ultra-realistic dream.

I stepped towards the window, suddenly curious as to what was going on outside. After all, there were shouts and screams coming from there as well. Remember how I told you that I wanted to be a pirate? Yeah, gruesome stuff had never really bothered me.

One of the guards took my shoulder and I felt the cold of his metallic gauntlet on my bare skin, "It's dangerous. Don't go near the window."

I frowned, but didn't argue. I sighed and slumped against the wall, sliding down it until I was sitting against the tapestry behind me. Tapestry? I hadn't noticed this before. Had it always been there? I turned to look at it, staring up at it. It stretched the entire length of the wall, which was not something to be scoffed at. I couldn't imagine how much time and effort it would have taken. Every single stitch, thread, and bead was in the exact spot it should have been it. It portrayed a green dragon standing above a man dressed in rich red cloth. The longer I stared, the more lifelike it seemed. After a while of my unblinking daze, it started moving. The dragon turned its head, its scaled shining in the fire that surrounded the two figures.

"Don't be a fool," growled the dragon. Its head loomed close to the man.

"We must do something!" shouted the man. His robes swirled around him as the dragon beat its magnificent wings.

"Man's arrogance is revolting," the dragon said angrily. Its bright green eyes shone, reflecting the flames.

The man spoke next, his eyes full of rage, "Princess, are you alright?" I blinked. That didn't seem right. A bit out of place, if you'd ask me.

"Princess?" asked another voice. I blinked again. The dragon was no longer shimmering and alive. It was just a series of organized stitched, one after the other. I clutched my necklace and turned to the guard.

"Yes, I apologize," I said quietly, "What is this tapestry of?" Another shout reminded me that we were under attack and I regretted the casual conversation. These men's nation was under attack and I was asking them about a piece of dusty fabric that hung on the wall behind me. They didn't seem to mind, though.

"That's Kazomere, the man," said the first guard. He had friendly eyes. I listened intently. "And the dragon…that's Vitruvius, the founder of our kingdom."

I stared, "I dragon…founded our kingdom?"  
He looked surprised, "You…don't know this?" I decided to shut up. It wouldn't look good if the princess didn't know the history of her own country, er, kingdom.

"Raul, look," said one of the guards, nudging his comrade in arms. They'd apparently noticed something that drew their attention. They went over to the window and stared. "What…_is _that?" Raul asked.

"Psst," said a voice. I looked to my right and there, sitting beside me nonchalantly, was the little blue cat, "Nice seeing you again."

I nodded, "You, too, Harold." I'd learned a while ago to expect anything here—a tapestry moving out of the blue was definitely one of those things to expect—so seeing Harold here wasn't that surprising.

He frowned, "My name's not Harold."

I gasped, "Oh, I'm sorry. Was it Henry? I knew it. I'm sorry for forgetting."

"It's not Henry," he grumbled, turning up his nose, "It's Happy."

"What's happy?" I asked, leaning closer.

"My name," he said, glancing at me.

"Your name is…Happy?" I asked. He stared at me. I stared back. He was angry. I was amused.

I broke the silence, "But 'happy' is an adject—"

"I know it's an adjective!" Happy shouted. I looked to the guards who had spun around due to Happy's shouting.

"Uh oh, look what _you _did," I said.

"Why is there a cat here?" Raul demanded. Happy and I shrugged in unison. Before Raul could grab Happy by the scruff of his adorably fluffy neck, the window behind the two guards shattered. I flinched back and held my arms over my face. I didn't need flying shards of glass in my eye; that was for sure.

"Happy!" reprimanded a voice. I lowered my arms slowly and looked up. "You almost got us caught. What if that other guy had come back in here because of you?!"

The boy who was shouting in front of me was…different. He wore clothes that looked like they needed to be washed long ago. They had rips all over them, but that only served to make him look ruggedly handsome. He wore a hat that hid his face from me. The only other observation that could be made was that he had a strong yet slim build. Oh, he was also talking to a cat, but so had I, so I didn't have the right to judge him.

"He's definitely going to come in here if you keep yelling like that," Happy pointed out, "And you're scaring her." He pointed to me.

"I'm not scared, but he does have a point. Silas will come back if he hears you," I said calmly, crossing my arms over my chest. The boy turned to me, his face still hidden. I watched as he stepped closer and closer to me, his heavy boots thunking on the cold marble. He knelt down beside me and slowly slid his hat off, (while this was happening I was secretly imagining it to be a pirate hat…that would have been awesome).

My breath caught, "Pink."

He smiled. My heart skipped a beat. Skipped a beat? My heart never does that! It was probably the most amazing smile I'd ever seen in my life, though. I had to admit that. He leaned close to me and I leaned away, "Who are you?"

"My name is Natsu Dragneel," he said.

"That's some last name," I mumbled.

"Thank you," he said with another smile. How had he even heard that? "Who are you?" he asked.

I stared at him for a moment, fleetingly getting lost in his amber like eyes, "I'm Anna." His eyes widened.

He turned to his cat, "Anna? This is her?"

"Really? You're Anna?" asked the cat.

"And you're Happy."

"You're Anna? _The _Anna?" Natsu asked.

I smiled, sort of enjoying this little game, "And you're _the _Natsu, are you not?"

He grinned. "In that case," he offered me his hand, "I'm here to kidnap you." My jaw dropped. He was going to kidnap. A thought crossed my mind.

"I could scream, you know," I said calmly, "Silas would come in a heartbeat." That choice of words wasn't wise; it reminded me of how my own heart was pounding at his proximity.

Natsu's countenance suddenly darkened. He push me to the floor and positioned himself above me. I was froze, pinned down by his fiery eyes. He leaned down so close that I thought he was going to kiss me. Instead, he turned his head to the side and whispered into my ear. "You'd be burnt to a crisp before he'd walk through that door."

Heat erupted near my head and my eyes went wide. Natsu's hand was on fire. On _fire_! I gulped. This was just a dream. This could happen…right? A shiver went down my back despite the heat that was pouring through me from his closeness and the literal flames near my face. I stared at him. Jeez, why was this happening to _me _of all people? The worst violence that I'd ever experienced was by Johanna, and that was just bullying. Now, this guy—who my heart was inexplicably pounding for—was threatening to murder me.

I sighed and pushed him off of me. He landed on his rear and stared at me in surprise, "What are you—"

"You're here to kidnap me, right? Get on with it, then. I don't have time for these stupid threats of yours. I wouldn't actually scream, anyway. It's not like I actually want to stay here, anyway." I got to my feet and brushed off my dress. It occurred to me that my dress would be a bit of an inconvenience if we were trying to run away through masses of brawling soldiers and rebels. I stroked my nonexistent wizard beard. I was jerked from my thoughts by warm laughter.

"You, you, you are the strangest girl I've ever met!" Natsu gasped in between bouts of uncontainable laughter, "I like you!"

I turned away from him, "Laugh it up." I rummaged through my drawers searching for something, anything, that would allow me a bit more mobility. It had taken me quite a while to find that summer dress. I wondered if I had another one.

"Princess Annabeth!" shouted a distressed voice.

"Oh. Guess you shouldn't have laughed so loudly," I said, turning to look at Silas. He was staring at me in shock.

"Anna, don't do this," he said sternly. I could detect a hint of fear in his voice. I stared at him.

"Hey, are we going or are you going to take me up on my previous offer?" Natsu asked, nudging my arm.

I shrugged, "If I had to choose between being forced to marry a prince I haven't even met and possibly being blackened by your strange hand-fire or _not _being forced to marry a prince I haven't even met and _not _being blackened by your strange hand-fire…" I stroked my wizard beard again. "Yeah, let's go."

Natsu grinned again—I suppose I can't forget to mention the repetitive heart-fluttering involved with that—and reached for me. My eyes went wide as he swept me off my feat, (literally not figuratively).  
"Anna, stop!" Silas shouted, his guards flanking him as he charged forward. It was too late, though. We were already on the balcony.

"You know, when I first saw you I thought you mugged a hobo for your wardrobe," I said as he walked up to the railing.

He grinned, "I can assure you that's not the case."

"Promise?" I asked. I'd already ruled out the possibility, though; he looked like a hobo, but he didn't smell like one. Actually, he smelled sort of campfires, s'mores and all. I couldn't help but smile a little. I glanced over his shoulder and realized that Silas was getting closer. I was suddenly glad that my room here was so huge. If we'd been in my room at home, Silas would've been able to traverse the entire thing with just a few steps.

"Promise," he said with a stern nod. With that, he tossed me off the edge of the balcony. My dress billowed around me as I plummeted towards the stones below. Time seemed to slow down. My last thought before I would die was: _well, at least he didn't burn me to a crisp. _

Well, it would've been my last thought if an extremely muscly, blond man hadn't caught me. "Fancy meeting you here. I'm Anna," I said immediately, offering my hand. He set me down on the ground. I caught sight of a scar across his eye.

"Whatever," he said and then turned. I followed after him persistently.

"Thanks for not letting me die, Muscles," I said. I fought to keep up with him in my dress.

"Don't call me that, Shorty," he said almost calmly.

"Don't call me Shorty, Scarface," I shot back. Electricity crackled around him.

"Never say that again," he growled. Uh oh, I struck a nerve. "Cheerleader, deal with this!" he yelled. I couldn't help but wonder if his weird lightning thing was what causing those thunder sounds earlier. Also, was that sort of thing normal here? I mean, Natsu was on fire and didn't seem to mind. I mentally shrugged.

"Are you the princess?" asked a voice. I turned and saw a relatively normal-looking girl standing in front of me, "And don't call me cheerleader!"

I was working on yanking my hair from the tight bun that was killing me, "That'd be me, but you can just call me Anna."

She blinked, "You seem relatively cool about this whole kidnapping thing." I looked her up and down. She had straight blond hair and a pretty face. She seemed friendly enough. She had a noticeably large chest.

"Are you one of the rebels?" I asked.

She hesitated, "I guess you could say that, but we prefer to call ourselves—"

"Rosae Crucis," interrupted a voice. A familiar voice.

"And I'm Lucy," said the girl, pointing to herself an smiling. I finally tugged my hair free and it cascaded down my shoulers, my delicate curls bouncing as I stepped towards Natsu.

"What is _wrong _with you!?" I demanded. He stumbled backwards and gave me a look as if I'd shot him.

"What?"

"You threw me off of a balcony, you ass!" I shouted.

"Um, that was the plan. It's not his fault," Lucy interrupted.

"That's a stupid plan!" I said.

"Anna!" called a voice. I slapped a hand to my forehead.

"Seriously, Silas? Just give up," I groaned.

"That guy again?" Natsu asked, "Where is he? I'll get him." Natsu charged off to find my fervent persuer. I caught a glimpse of white hair in the crowds that fought around us. Silas. I can't say I didn't feel bad, but it felt good to be free of this castle. I didn't like leaving Silas, though. He'd tried to cheer me up, in his own way.

"We should go," Lucy said, "We need to get you out of here." I couldn't stop staring at Natsu who was charging towards Silas. Lucy grabbed my hand and led me away. I stumbled at first, but caught myself.

"Sorry, but I need to get you out of here," Lucy shouted over the sounds of the fighting.

"Lucy, is that her?" called a woman with bright red hair.

"I've got her!" Lucy yelled back.

"Pull back! Everyone out! We've done it!" shouted the woman. She smiled at me, but she seemed a bit intimidating. Beautiful, but in a scary way. I suddenly tripped over, oh god, it was an unconscious person. Or was he dead?

"Anna!" Lucy shouted. I looked up and saw her being carried away by the people pouring out of the narrow gate of the courtyard. I looked back at the man and poked him.

"Hey, are you dead? Your friends are leaving," I said to him. He wasn't wearing the green uniform of the castle guard, so I assumed he was a rebel. Actually, he wasn't wearing a shirt at all, for that matter.

He groaned and lifted his head, "Good morning."

I noticed a bump on his head and gently touched it, "Are you alright? That looks like it hurts."

He lazily looked and me and then froze completely, "Who are you?"

"That's not important," I said, "Let's go." I got to my feet and offered him my hand. He took it and then looked away from me. I punched his arm. "What's wrong with you? Come on."

I turned to follow the crowd, but tripped on the hem of my dress. I let out a string of less than ladylike curses as I tumbled towards the ground. Luckily for me, strong arms encircled my waist and pulled me upright. I looked up and saw the face of the guy I'd just brought back to life.

"That's dangerous," he said cooly. Well, it would have been cool if, as soon as he looked me in the eye, his face didn't turn red.

"Um, are you alright? Maybe you hit your head a little hard?" I said, reaching for his forehead. Did he have a fever? He slapped my hand away.

"I'm fine," he said. He then leaned down and took a hold of my dress.

"Hey, what are you—" I gasped when he yanked, hard. My dress made a sickening sound as it ripped.

"You can't run in that," he said and tossed the fabric aside.

"What a crying shame," I said, looking down at myself, "Now my legs are cold."

He grabbed my arm and led me through the crowd. Granted, I could move a lot easier after I was freed from the pounds of fabric that had once been my dress.

"I don't mean to be a downer, but most people wear shirts," I said.

He glanced down and his face turned red again. "Gray doesn't like shirts," Natsu said, joining us. He jogged on my other side.

"Shut up, Natsu!" Gray growled.

"It's true. You're just a popsicle of a stripper," Natsu said as we made for the bright light on the other side of the gate.

"I hate you," Gray said plainly.

"I admire your honesty," I pointed out.

"What? Can't come up with an insult?" Natsu asked. I glanced at Gray, but he looked flustered. His face was still red and he wouldn't look at us.

I laughed, "You guys are fun."

The two strange guys ran alongside me as we burst through the gate and into the bright daylight. I couldn't help but smile. Natsu let out a whoop and Gray grinned. I felt…happy.

* * *

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